Hot Air Re-work Station Recommendations?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Hot Air Re-work Station Recommendations?

dgashby

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Master Geek

#243548 17-Dec-2018 22:09

Hi,

I'm just about to try my first circuit (a Raspberry Pi HAT) that uses SMDs. Can anyone recommend a good workstation or provide advice on what to look out for? There are hundreds of options available both local and online from Jaycar, Element14, AliExpress, Wish.

Thanks,

Dean

Ge0rge

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#2146743 17-Dec-2018 23:08

We use Pace gear at work - expensive, but you won't get anything better.

elpenguino

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#2146746 17-Dec-2018 23:20

What's your previous soldering experience? If you're a noob and dropping straight into SMD work TBH you're gonna have a hard time.

I'm assuming you're having a fiddle at home and not doing a production run.

The hobbyist can work with a heat gun or less preferably a gas soldering iron - but only if you know what you're expecting to happen and when.

I suggest you grab some solder, flux, solder wick, solder paste, tweezers and grab a broken tv or other modern product. Have a go at removing components (start with those with fewer legs) clean up the PCB and try put the component back on. Repeat until you can make a nice job of it.

Smaller SMDs like Rs and Cs can be soldered on with a normal soldering iron - main problem is seeing enough detail - grab some magnification goggles of some kind, or for the very small components, a microscope.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

neb

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#2147184 18-Dec-2018 15:15

elpenguino:
What's your previous soldering experience? If you're a noob and dropping straight into SMD work TBH you're gonna have a hard time.

+1. You can get SMD training kits, just fixed PCBs and components, that you can use to practice on (OK, you can also buy a cheap kit from China and use that as a guinea pig, but these are specifically done as a self-practice course where you can learn SMD work). Google "SMD practice board", e.g. this.

wratterus

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#2147189 18-Dec-2018 15:19

https://www.rossmanngroup.com/buy-hot-air-station-laptop-cellphone-repair/

Some good advice there.

dgashby

71 posts

Master Geek

#2147263 18-Dec-2018 18:41

Thanks for the great suggestions. I'm reasonably experienced with a soldering iron and can do a pretty clean job with through hole components.

I've got a couple of old printers floating around that have been partially pulled to bits for stepper motors and other interesting bits, experimenting with the PCBs from those is a great idea. I've already got a third hand with illuminated magnifier but I was considering upgrading to something with greater magnification, along with a pair of fine tweezers.

The Rossmann article is also full of good points.

JaseNZ

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#2147295 18-Dec-2018 18:52

I use one of these microscopes for working on smd's so easy to just work the the monitor. The price is good and so is the unit.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/new-2016-Andonstar-HDMI-microscope-long-object-distance-free-shipping/32614040444.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dhen3kz

And I use one of these as my hot air station

https://nz.element14.com/hakko/fr810b/digital-hot-air-station-50-600deg/dp/2455864

I have no problems recommending both they have worked well for me.

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding : Ice cream man , Ice cream man

neb

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#2147317 18-Dec-2018 19:49

Mspec:
And I use one of these as my hot air station

https://nz.element14.com/hakko/fr810b/digital-hot-air-station-50-600deg/dp/2455864

Hmm, you probably don't want to read the Rossman article then :-).

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JaseNZ

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#2147354 18-Dec-2018 20:26

Had no problems with mine does what I need it to do.

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding : Ice cream man , Ice cream man